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Alfredo Pérez (1) Mark Henry Sabaj (1) Cortés Hernández, M. et al 2023 (1)

Description: Vertebrae: 35. Can be diagnosed by a combination of the following characters: dark spots randomly distributed over dusky region on body; side of body with few (no more than 5) straight dark vertical bars; 2 or 3 loop-like bars; adipose fin with 5-7 spots; surrounding areas over dorsal procurrent caudal rays with 5-8 spots; 35 vertebrae; and pectoral and pelvic fins pale with no dusky pigmentation. There has been 5 new species described by Buitrago-Suárez, U.A. and B.M. Burr in 2007, to go alongside P. tigrinum, P. fasciatum and P. corruscans. These species are P. punctifer (Castelnau), P. reticulatum Eigenmann & Eigenmann, P. orinocoensen, P. metaense, and P. magdaleniatum. So far P. punctifer is the only species that has not been accepted in some publications in print and on the internet. Two species (P. punctifer ? and P. tigrinum) are sympatric in the Amazon Basin, two (P. metaense and P. orinocoense) are sympatric in the Orinoco Basin, and two others, P. corruscans and P. reticulatum, are sympatric in the Paraná. Pseudoplatystoma magdaleniatum and P. fasciatum each occur as the only species of Pseudoplatystoma in their respective individual ranges. Aquarium Care: Its tank should have a shaded area at the back such as a large branch and plants to hide under as it is nocturnal, and also the lighting should not be too bright. Should not be kept with any fish that is smaller than itself and it also should be housed in a very large tank. The best companions would probably be large Pacu's or similar sized fish that would not be swallowed. Carry out weekly water changes. Diet: In their natural habitat they eat other fish such as characins and other catfish, they also eat freshwater crabs. In the aquarium a diet of earthworms, freshwater fish such as trout and also shrimp and prawns. You should only feed when it starts looking actively for it, as they will rest for a few days after feeding to digest their food. Etymology: The specific name metaense: refers to the type locality, Meta River, a tributary of the Orinoco River in Colombia and Venezuela.

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Pimelodidae

South America: Orinoco River in Colombia and Venezuela. Type Locality: Metica River, about 1.5 kilometers east of Rajote, 3°56'N, 73°03'W, Meta River, dept. of Meta, Colombia.

60.0cm. (24ins)

24-28°C (75-83°F)

6.5-8.0.

Buitrago-Suárez, U.A. and B.M. Burr, 2007. Taxonomy of the catfish genus Pseudoplatystoma Bleeker (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) with recognition of eight species. Zootaxa 1512:1-38.
Cortés Hernández, M. Ángel, Suarez Contento, L. Y., Baquero, E. A., & Collazos Lasso, L. F. (2023). Fish diversity of a tributary of the Meta River, in the flat highlands of the colombian Orinoquia. Acta Zoológica Lilloana, 449–471.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2017. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (07/17).
Lasso, C. 2023. Pseudoplatystoma metaense. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2023.